1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to guidance devices for use in loading a boat onto a trailer and, more particularly, to a signal device for guiding a boat into proper alignment with the trailer.
Boat trailers for transporting small boats are well known to those skilled in the art. When transferring a boat from the water onto a trailer, it is necessary to maintain the boat in longitudinal alignment with the trailer as the boat is drawn forwardly onto the same to properly center the boat thereon. This boat loading process is more difficult at night when the trailer is submerged in water and is not readily visible.
Thus, the present invention has been developed to provide a boat loading guidance device mounted on the front end of the trailer which provides a light signal that indicates the longitudinal aligment of the boat relative to the trailer.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,418,628 discloses an alignment device for trailers for guiding a motor vehicle having a trailer hitch into proper alignment with a trailer having a coupling member.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,831,790 to Edward Farris disclosing a boat loading and unloading kit including guide arms for attachment to a boat trailer for facilitating the loading and unloading of a boat therefrom.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,494 to John W. Jessee discloses a trailer guidance system to facilitate the positioning of a towing vehicle with respect to a towed vehicle whereby hitch components on the vehicles are properly positioned for connecting the vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,827,304 to Charles H. Backus discloses a mechanical guide means mounted on the rear end of a trailer for maintaining a boat in a longitudinally aligned position as it is being drawn forwardly by a winch from the water onto such trailer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,274 to Lawrence Green discloses a guiding light system in the form of signal lamps which show the driver of towing vehicle whether or not it is backing directly toward the hook-up position to attach a trailer coupling.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,436 to Carl J. Tusche discloses a trailer hitch guide device that includes a plurality of visual guides that are flexibly mounted on a trailer in a pattern that can be used to align and orient a vehicle with respect to the trailer hitch elements in a plurality of planes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,250 to David Hernandez discloses an electronic trailer guide which includes sensors and associated logic and display circuitry that serve to present information to the driver of a towing vehicle as to the direction in which he must turn the steering wheel of the towing vehicle to back a trailer into a desired position.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,927,310 to Russell G. Knapp discloses a trailer warning signal device which will signal the driver when the angle between a tow car a trailer exceeds a predetermined degree and which will also indicates the direction of angular deviation between the two vehicles.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,833 to Gordon J. Shepherd is considered of general interest in that it discloses an aircraft docking system including a plurality of load sensors embedded in the surface of an airport apron. An aircraft approaching along the correct path will cause a plurality of light signals to be sequentially illuminated.